US Announces Plans to Buy 500 Million Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines for Poor Countries
- The US intends to buy the COVID-19 doses to 92 poorest counties in the world to help the countries fight the pandemic
- Out of the 500 million 200 million COVID-19 doses are set to be delivered across the globe by the end of 2021
- However, the government dismissed claims that it is in a so-called vaccine diplomacy contest with Russia and China
-On Tuesday, June 1, India received the second shipment of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia to help fight the killer virus
The United States of America has announced plans to buy 500 Million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 92 poorer countries.
Source: UGC
The US said that 200 million doses are set to be delivered worldwide by the end of this year, 2021.
According to the White House, the remainder of the doses will be sent out by June 2022.
"President Joe Biden will on Thursday, June 10 announce a historic US donation of half a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses for 92 poorer countries," the White House stated.
The largest-ever purchase and donation of the vaccines by a single country will help supercharge the global fight against COVID-19.
Biden, who is currently attending a G7 summit in Britain, is also set to call on the world's global commonwealths to do their parts in contributing to the global supply of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.
This comes at a time when the US has been under criticism for sitting on huge stocks of unused COVID-19 vaccines while other countries are suffering.
In response to the criticism, the government said it was initially necessary as a precautionary measure in its own race to get shots into the arms of Americans before extending the help.
According to the White House, the country has now reached 64 % of adults receiving at least one dose.
At the same time, it has dismissed the claims that it is in a so-called vaccine diplomacy contest with Russia and China, saying its initiatives is a return to multilateral action after the nationalist isolationism of Donald Trump's presidency.
"We believe through this new, huge surge in donations we will be able to save lives and end the pandemic," the White House said.
In a separate story YEN.com.gh reported that on Tuesday, June 1, India received the second shipment of Sputnik V vaccine from Russia to help fight the killer virus.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the second shipment of the Sputnik V vaccine had been sent to India to help the nation deal with the pandemic.
The vaccine is the third to be approved for use in India by the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA).
Source: YEN.com.gh
